The Walters Prize selection team have no doubt been roaming up and down the country on the look out for “outstanding contributions to the visual arts over the last two years.” The kick off point for the next prize is, as best we can work out, March 2008 and will close around February 2010. So any “outstanding contribution’ made within that time frame is eligible.
Here’s our pick from what’s happened so far.
Michael Parekowhai’s astonishing exhibition The moment of Cubism at Michael Lett. It’s still on so no excuses.
Alicia Frankovich has been impressive over the period, particularly in her series of performances at Artspace in May this year.
Simon Denny must be in there with his Quodibet show at Daniel Buchholz’s gallery in Cologne.
Fiona Connor for her Gambia Castle show Notes on half the page and of course Something transparent (please go round the back) at Michael Lett.
Dane Mitchell has made an impression over the past couple of years especially with his appearance at last year’s Basel Art Fair with Starkwhite.
Then, on top of all this, there are the artists who have done great work over the last two years who have already either won the prize (can you win it more than once, like an Olympic Gold medal?) or been runners-up or – as in Peter Robinson’s case – both.
et al. That’s obvious! That’s right! That’s True at the Christchurch Art Gallery, Peter Robinson’s Snow blind at the Govett-Brewster and Ronnie van Hout’s knock-out exhibition Hold that thought at Hamish McKay in October last year.
Tough choice Walters Prize guys.
